


Public Safety

by Kalloway



Category: Gundam SEED, Gundam SEED & Cosmic Era Gundam, Gundam SEED Astray
Genre: Awkward Wedding Festivities, Chatting & Messaging, F/F, Unconventional Courtship Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-26
Updated: 2013-03-26
Packaged: 2017-12-06 12:48:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/735879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalloway/pseuds/Kalloway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cagalli just wanted some anonymous fun at first - but when her text-only girlfriend is going to be in town on the same weekend she's tangled up in a high profile wedding, she has some very serious decisions to make.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Public Safety

**Author's Note:**

> For a challenge called 'Unconventional Courtship' where authors were to write a story inspired various Harlequin/Mills & Boone summaries.
> 
> Based on the summary for 'Virtually Perfect' by Samantha Hunter-
> 
> "She’s just one click away...
> 
> Cagalli Yula Athha has found the perfect lover – online. When Romi’s sexy words fly across the computer screen, she can seduce her in a heartbeat. The hot, detailed images of them together feed Cagalli's sexual fantasies. The best part? Cagalli doesn’t have to make a commitment or even cook dinner for Romi. No fuss, no muss. She can switch Romi off at any time. So why is she feeling unsatisfied?
> 
> Rondo Mina Sahaku is ready for the next step – to meet in person. She wants to make it real with Allie. Their virtual relationship has left Mina in a constantly aroused state, hungry for a taste of Allie's lips and the touch of her skin. She wants to make love – all night long – to the woman who’s captured her heart sight unseen.
> 
> Except, once Romi and Allie meet face-to-face, both are surprised at the outcome…

[desertgold: you're up early.]

[indarkness: Work, as usual, meant a bit of a schedule change. We have a bit longer to chat, however.]

[desertgold: i know. i'm glad. i... was thinking about you today actually.]

[indarkness: Now you can't just say something like that without giving any details.]

Cagalli licked her lips and leaned back, wondering where to begin. There was always the nagging thought in the back of her mind that she was going to get caught and.... She wasn't even sure what-- Part of her thought it would be a pleasant change from being asked about Yuna, actually. Or Athrun. Or if she was dating anyone. Or if the one time she'd gotten Commander Waltfeld to take her to a movie meant anything. Or...

The same part of her wished she'd gotten caught years earlier with some of her short-term boyfriends and girlfriends at the schools she'd attended. Might make things a little easier if...

[desertgold: got stuck in a long meeting and let my mind wander.]

[indarkness: On the table or under the table?]

[desertgold: more like how it was a nice day, i'd rather be at the beach.]

[indarkness: A nice private stretch, I'm guessing? You wouldn't need to have your top on-]

Cagalli swallowed hard while reading exactly what indarkness - Romi - would do to her given opportunity and privacy. Not that she didn't have a few thoughts of her own.

She didn't know much about Romi other than that Romi was an interesting woman - obviously well-educated and full of scandalous ideas. But she hadn't revealed much about herself, either- she'd been using the name 'Allie', a mesh of her own name and Athrun's 'Alex', and could only guess that 'Romi' was a pseudonym as well.

When Cagalli had first started talking to Romi, they'd both agreed that their chats would be string-free.

Though as weeks turned to months and their chats grew even more intimate, Cagalli couldn't help wishing for a little something more. Which wasn't going to happen for more reasons than Cagalli wanted to think about.

[indarkness: Need to make sure you're not taking too much sand home with you.]

[desertgold: same can be said for you - no one's in the showers - time to get your suit off. did you bring shampoo? i can wash out your hair.]

[indarkness: Brought everything we need. And if we're not going to be disturbed, your suit needs to be off too.]

[desertgold: off it goes. water is on and warm...]

[indarkness: Far more interested on my skin against yours, fingers on your breasts and slipping lower]

[desertgold: go on, Romi-]

Cagalli squirmed, wondering if Romi was touching herself as she typed. She could only imagine. And she knew she'd at least be digging through her bedside drawer for her vibrator before sleep.

All too soon, however, Romi needed to sign off. Cagalli wasn't entirely sure what sort of work Romi did, but she hadn't pressed. Romi had just said 'Public Safety', which conjured pleasant images of uniforms and possibly handcuffs.

Ten minutes and one green sparkly vibrator later, Cagalli settled to sleep.

Unsurprisingly, she dreamed of the beach.

~*~

"Good morning, Lady Mina."

Mina - Rondo Mina Sahaku - stretched and reached to take the tea that her ward, Four Socius, was offering her.

"Good morning," Mina replied, despite having been up already for more hours than intended thanks to a holo-conference call that couldn't be scheduled around her personal sleep schedule. "I've already looked over the schedule for the day."

"The main project is to finish preparations for your--"

"Our," Mina corrected.

"--our attendance of the wedding of Lord and Lady Hakuro's daughter."

Mina smiled and sipped her tea. It was perfect, as usual.

"Are all of our descent plans finalized?" she questioned. "Gifts have already been sent, correct? You boys have proper dress uniforms that aren't too short?"

She was half-tempted to add in a request for time to sweep a young lady off her feet, but... Mina was a little unsure exactly how strongly her early-morning pen-pal wanted their relationship to progress.

Yes, she'd been a bit surprised at first to learn the identity of her cyber-girlfriend, but Mina couldn't do anything other than laugh about it. She never would have known if it hadn't been for an offhand comment from Erica Simmons. But everything fit and after that, the pieces were easy to put together.

"Gifts were ordered and will be delivered at appropriate times," Four confirmed. "We have new uniforms that fit, as well. However, descent plans are awaiting a decision on defense-"

Mina chuckled. "We'll pack Amatu. If you boys need to help me with anything, I'm sure I can get you Astrays from Erica. Though this should be far quieter than the last wedding."

Mina finished her tea and then reached to run her fingers through Four's hair, dragging her nails against his scalp. He let out a contented little noise and Mina smiled.

As much as Mina loved her boys and was thankful for her friends, she'd also grown very fond of the time she spent chatting with Cagalli. It would be nice to make something more of it, if only for a weekend, without secrets.

~*~

"That's this weekend?" Cagalli groaned and tried to distract herself with her breakfast. She had nothing against the Hakuros, of course, but she really wasn't fond of weddings.

"Presents have already been ordered and sent," one of her aides noted. "You have a dress fitting today at two - this will be one of the fashion events of the year, so you'll need something new."

"As long as it isn't hideous, too colorful, or likely to distract from the bride," Cagalli mumbled. "Or huge. Or require glue anywhere I don't want glue. Or..."

"Sounds like I need to find you a sack with armholes."

Cagalli turned and sprang from her seat, nearly tackling Athrun.

"Athrun! When did you get home?"

"Just this morning," Athrun replied, hugging her back.

"Want to go to a wedding with me?" Cagalli questioned, hopeful as she let go of him. The aide gestured between Athrun and Cagalli's breakfast and Cagalli nodded. A moment later, the aide had vanished to grab breakfast for Athrun.

"Yeah, there's no way that won't be awkward or give people the wrong idea," Athrun commented flatly as he pulled out a chair and sat.

"So bring whoever you're dating-"

"Which would draw more attention - and I'm sure the bride wouldn't like that-"

"You are dating someone-"

"I am. And do you still have your e-girlfriend?" Athrun questioned, keeping his voice low.

"Yeah, though..." She could tell by the look in Athrun's eyes that he understood. He reached for her hand and she took his and squeezed and didn't immediately let go.

"Do something about it," Athrun commented finally, letting go only when the aide reappeared. A full breakfast was deposited in front of Athrun before the aide disappeared again.

"After the wedding," Cagalli replied. "Maybe."

She didn't miss Athrun's sigh.

"She doesn't even live in Orb, you know..."

~*~

offline message: [indarkness: Sorry to break our date, but work has me tied up. I'd like a chance to make it up to you - I'll be in Orb for a conference this weekend. Let me know if you'd like to meet.]

Of all the weekends! Romi was going to be in Orb and Cagalli was going to be tied up with that wedding. It wasn't fair!

She didn't reply. She didn't know how to even begin, though, so it wouldn't sound like a bad excuse.

~*~

Properly packed and prepped, Lady Mina checked one last time for any messages. But she had none. Perhaps she'd been a little too forward?

"Lady Mina?"

"I'm ready," Mina told Six, smiling and turning off her tablet. There was also a chance, after all, that Cagalli just hadn't gotten the message yet.

The trip to Orb was not a long one and was almost relaxing. Six had settled beside her and she'd taken to explaining the Hakuro family to him. Traditional, but not close-minded. The wedding seemed like a good match from what little she knew about the groom.

At one point, Six fell asleep against her and carefully she slipped out her tablet to check-- just in case.

offline message: [desertgold: and of all the luck, i am stuck attending the wedding of a family friend.]

Mina chuckled. She knew. She stroked Six's hair and considered her response. After all, she hadn't been turned down.

user is not online - message will be received next time user is online: [indarkness: Not every second of the weekend, I'm hoping. I'd like to

Mina paused. Six shifted and settled against her.

see you and find out if we have the same chemistry in person.]

She was fairly sure she wouldn't get a reply before the next day. Besides, it was nearly time to land...

~*~

Cagalli groaned. Athrun had mentioned that she knew his new love interest but was otherwise keeping quiet. Now she was stuck listening to his opinion on dresses and trying to guess who he was dating without anything to go on.

So far, the dresses she'd been shown were all firmly on the spectrum between awful and horrible, with a few peaking into truly unfortunate. She hadn't even found one to try on let alone consider having altered for a perfect fit.

"I wish Kira was here," Cagalli mumbled, stomping through the dress shop. It had closed for the afternoon to accommodate her, thankfully, so she didn't have prying eyes. But it would be better if they had some nice dresses that weren't eye-searing. "He always had an eye for my outfits."

"Mmm..." Athrun peered at her over a rack.

Cagalli frowned. "Don't tell me you're dating my-" she caught herself, though "-good friend Kira."

Athrun said nothing, but he held up a dress that was far less awful than anything the shop's personal shopper had suggested for her.

"I'll try it on," Cagalli said quickly. She eyed him. But he didn't crack. If it was Kira, well... "And you're going to be my date, right? Or I'll torture poor Commander Waltfeld--"

"I wouldn't miss it," Athrun replied, resigned, as he handed her the dress.

~*~

By the time Cagalli fell into bed, she was so exhausted that she almost forgot to check for messages. If Romi had a conference, she was probably traveling anyway--

But there was an offline message - Cagalli wanted to cry. She wanted a lot of things, really, including the option of yes, finding happiness or at least having a really good weekend with someone who wasn't also one of Orb's nobles or political big shots.

[desertgold: romi, i want to but i may not be able to. not just the wedding, but... everything.]

~*~

Mina gazed out at the pool that flanked the Sahaku family mansion. It was a bit of a waste to open up the entire place for just a handful of days, but Mina knew she'd be expected to entertain at least once. Rarely did anyone visit her at Ame-no, after all. And she did need to make her presence known.

Her boys had given her a bit of an odd look when she'd mentioned wanting the pool cleaned and filled. But they'd not questioned.

It wasn't quite the beach, but Mina was fairly sure it would do.

Her tablet beeped - she'd marked herself as offline even though she was there.

She sighed as she read the message.

"Cagalli," she said half to herself and half to the freshly chlorinated water, "I know you're stronger than that."

~*~

Mina wished for a long moment that she really was Romi and really was at a conference. Or at least had been invited to the groom's festivities instead. She could handle drinking and a few naked girls.

While Noni Hakuro had grown into a lovely, charming woman, her ladies night was boring. Perhaps someone had decided raunchy antics were beneath the nobility, which was laughable.

Even Noni seemed bored, but was at least trying to smile while playing sanitized games and smiling at things like flannel pajamas. And Noni's mother was there, too, which helped nothing. Any time someone started to say something at all risque, they quickly stopped, eyes-wide, and looked down for a long, long time.

Cagalli seemed to be equally unenthused. Just her being there seemed to make things more awkward, especially when the conversation slipped to her wedding and being kidnapped from it and had she at least gotten a good ride--

Though the girl who'd asked that promptly looked at Lady Hakuro, turned neon red and quickly excused herself to the food table.

"Open more gifts?" someone suggested. Noni nodded, brushing back curly dark hair that fell back into her face every time she moved, and reached for another sparkling gift bag.

This one was pink fuzzy handcuffs, a pink whip and a book that Noni dropped back into the bag before pulling it out all the way. She glanced at her mother and blushed.

Mina managed not to chuckle, instead sipping at the wine cooler that wasn't doing anything to dull the pain of Lady Hakuro--

"If those are good ones, the fuzz will come off for washing," Lady Hakuro noted.

There was a long, long moment of silence while slowly, everyone looked at her.

Noni's eyes were wide. Cagalli started laughing, though she was obviously trying to keep it in. Before long, though, everyone was at least smiling and not trying to be overly proper.

~*~

Cagalli hadn't meant to laugh. She really hadn't. But the tenseness of the so-called party had really started to get to her and Lady Hakuro's comment was so completely out of the blue that she certainly hadn't seen it coming.

Not that Lady Hakuro was the only person keeping things dull - Lady Sahaku and a somehow-bottomless wine cooler off to the edge of the room weren't doing any wonders, either. It wasn't like the woman even likely knew Noni, unless their families had been better friends at some point than what she knew about.

Though amazingly, Lady Sahaku was out of her usual formal attire and wearing white pants, brown boots and a gorgeous block-print floral tunic-shirt that actually defined a few of her curves instead of hiding them. That alone was worth a handful of quick glances away from Noni and the other girls as they eagerly set up a rousing round of Pin-the-penis on the Naked Serviceman.

~*~

[desertgold: romi? are you there?]

[indarkness: I am. I wasn't expecting you tonight--]

[desertgold: well, the girls night didn't go too late - the entirety of the wedding festivities are smashed into one weekend because there are so many guests from out of town.]

[indarkness: Did you have a nice time?]

[desertgold: it was a little awkward at first - the bride's mother was there! that and another lady who was out of place.]

Mina couldn't help laughing as she reached for her drink - ice water - that was sitting on the table beside her lounge chair. The sky was still pink and purple and the evening was quite warm. Four, Six, and Thirteen were splashing about in the shallow end of the pool and Mina was planning to join them at some point.

[desertgold: and then she managed to win pin-the-penis, of all things.]

[indarkness: Sounds more amusing than my day. Aside from a bit of a reprieve during the afternoon, I was mostly stuck in meetings.]

Organizing a couple of small parties, mostly. And then stops to see Erica and a few Admirals.

[desertgold: are you back at your hotel?]

Mina blinked a couple of times.

[desertgold: i mean...]

[indarkness: By the pool, actually. It's a nice night and there aren't many people swimming - just a few boys playing around.]

She debated for a long moment before typing out her next message.

[indarkness: Want my room number?]

One minute passed. And then another. Mina sighed.

[desertgold: not tonight. and i... i'm not dodging you Romi. i promise. this is just such an awkward weekend. i should probably go...]

[indarkness: Have a good night, Allie.]

Swimming laps felt amazing and it was only the beginning of a fine overnight rain that pulled her from the water.

~*~

Cagalli curled up in a ball on her bed. Yes, she wanted Romi's room number. Yes, she wanted to go misbehave and not have to be up at the crack of dawn for a dress fitting and salon appointment just to get her hair trimmed and highlighted and practice-set. At least she didn't have to attend the rehearsal or dinner or anything like that.

But there was jewelry to pick out, and shoes, and a purse...

And it wasn't just that-- just all of the fuss of a wedding in general was making her unhappy. Too many bad memories. But she'd already complained to Athrun about that and he'd stroked her hair and promised he'd always be there for her.

Which was far kinder than what she thought he should have said.

She had an offline message waiting when she woke.

offline message: [indarkness: It's an open invitation]

~*~

Blissfully free of obligations for the morning, Mina breezed through a bit of personal shopping and then headed to meet with Erica about a few OS tweaks on Amatu.

Of course, Erica had wanted hard data and Mina didn't mind a bit of a workout. She was still in her pilot suit, leaning over a tablet with Erica when Cagalli ducked into Amatu's assigned hangar.

"Oh!" She blinked at Mina a couple of times and then looked to Erica.

"Cagalli?" Erica questioned.

"Looking for Athrun," Cagalli admitted, wincing as she very obviously tried not to look at Amatu. "He's around somewhere."

While Cagalli was wearing dress pants and a short-sleeved blouse, her hair was pinned up in a mess of bright flowers and rhinestones. Her makeup was perfect, too, Mina noted with the tiniest smile.

Erica shook her head. "I haven't seen him in a few hours."

"Yeah," Cagalli said, sighing. "He went to the dress fitting, but had to run here for something but promised he'd give me an opinion on my hair."

"I think it looks fine," Mina noted. "Though it looks like a lot of fuss for just a weekend."

"Hopefully Noni is enjoying it," Cagalli replied, wrapping her arms around herself. "I never liked any of it, but... I don't really think I need to elaborate on that."

There was a long painful moment of silence that Mina wasn't quite willing to fill with anything that Cagalli would likely misconstrue.

Though...

"Hold still," Mina said softly, stepping over to Cagalli and reaching to fix a slightly tilted flower and then pull a few strands of golden hair loose to frame one side of Cagalli's face. "There."

She did not miss the look Cagalli gave her.

"Ah..." Cagalli stepped back, blushing. "If either of you sees Athrun, let him know I'm looking for him."

Erica and Mina looked to each other as Cagalli hastily retreated.

"You need to tell her," Erica said flatly.

"I know," Mina replied, shaking her head. "I know."

~*~

[desertgold: still by the pool?]

[indarkness: Yes. It's a beautiful night. Ready for that room number?]

[desertgold: tomorrow. i want you to see my hair up-- but if i ask tonight, will i get to the wedding tomorrow?]

Cagalli wondered if she could come up with anything resembling an excuse for missing a wedding because she was busy in bed with some foreign public safety worker.

[indarkness: You have a point. Tomorrow, then.]

Cagalli had to suck in her breath when she was given a place and a time. Late enough that she could duck out of the reception and close enough that she knew the hotel and was fairly sure she wouldn't look horribly over-dressed when wandering into its lounge.

[desertgold: will you be wearing something i should look for?]

[indarkness: I'll know you - you'll have the beautiful hair, right?]

[desertgold: and a bit too much makeup, yes.]

Cagalli leaned back in bed. She'd plucked out the flowers and put them in a bowl of water to float. The rhinestones had just gone in the garbage. All new ones would be put in come morning.

Athrun had approved of it all, including the little loose wisp that Lady Sahaku had given her.

She had not expected Lady Sahaku, of all people, to have an opinion on her hair, let alone take the time to fix it.

[indarkness: And a lovely dress that I'll be getting you out of.]

Cagalli didn't give another thought to anyone other than Romi for the rest of the evening.

~*~

The Hakuros had not questioned Mina's insistence on three 'dates', and in return, Mina had given a sizable monetary gift along with plenty of fancy household things that she was fairly sure would never be used. However, someone had beaten her to the useful items like towels and a toaster.

Unlike Cagalli, she had no reason to turn herself into a peacock for the event. Her outfit would not be photographed and analyzed - likely she'd be relatively ignored by anyone with a camera.

Four, Six, and Thirteen were ready only minutes before she'd finished combing through her long, black hair. Free from flowers and rhinestones and wearing only the most necessary amount of makeup, Mina herded her boys out to the car.

Her phone was tucked in a pocket, on silent.

~*~

"My head itches," Cagalli complained, resisting the urge to lean on Athrun. Leaning would crush the flowers, however, that were braided onto the top of her head.

"You have flowers on it," Athrun replied. "You could have asked for something simple, you know."

"This was the simple option." Sighing, Cagalli dug in her purse for her phone to check the time. "You said you liked it."

"I do like it. It's just... It probably is itchy. And I can't figure out how to scratch it for you that wouldn't end up ruining the rhinestones." Athrun settled an arm around her. "We should probably get going."

"Yeah." There weren't any messages. Of course, she'd told Romi she'd be at the wedding. And since the news had been nothing but Noni's wedding all day, Cagalli was fairly sure Romi had to know which wedding. Which meant that if nothing else, Romi knew her basic timeline.

But the guest list was several hundred people long, so at least she was still relatively anonymous. For the time being.

~*~

They settled carefully into the row of seats, Thirteen on Mina's left, Four and Six on her right. There were two seats on the far side of Thirteen, which Mina had a couple of guesses about. However, before she could so much as give them a second glance, quite a few of her father's old friends began vying for her attention.

Mina smiled. Even if she'd be seeing them again within a day or two, it was nice to say a few words about the day and that yes, Ame-no-Mihashira really was still a very comfortable home but Orb was nice, too. And yes, it would be good to see them all at the family home.

Four took the initiative to make notes on the various invitations that Mina was receiving.

"...the weather isn't bothering me at all," Mina finished as the seats beside Thirteen were suddenly occupied. The attention turning to Cagalli was almost a relief. Mina smiled over Thirteen's head at Cagalli and her escort.

"Representative Athha--"

"Lady Sahaku," Cagalli replied. Mina did not miss the tiny flick of Cagalli's eyes up to where there should have been a bit of loose hair framing Cagalli's face. She didn't think Cagalli had quite meant to do it, but it didn't quite matter.

"Pardon," Mina said as she leaned across Thirteen and very carefully tugged the bit loose that needed to be. It fell perfectly, and Mina smiled.

"There," she said, before settling back. "Perfect."

"Thank you," Cagalli replied. "And I got your invitation for the garden party. I'll be there."

Before Mina could reply properly, the first little burst of activity started at the front of the area that had been sectioned off for the actual ceremony. The wedding and reception were both being held on the grounds of the Hakuro mansion, outside, on a beautiful day.

~*~

Cagalli winced and settled. Athrun gave her a bit of a confused look, but she just shook her head and nodded towards the altar. She hadn't quite expected to end up seated next to one of Lady Sahaku's wards, but she couldn't complain. Out of everyone she possibly could have ended up beside, she'd actually been quite lucky.

Noni looked amazing, when she appeared. And her bridesmaids were wearing the most garish dresses ever and Cagalli was thankful to have not have been asked. They also had far more flowers and rhinestones than Cagalli had imagined were possible for hair to hold, so she felt a little better about her own.

The most surprising part for her, aside from when she caught Lady Sahaku softly explaining some of the particulars of the ceremony to her boys, was that she didn't cry.

Cagalli was really quite sure that she should have.

~*~

In between the end of the ceremony and the reception dinner, Mina slipped off just enough to send Cagalli a quick message. To her surprise, however, she had one waiting.

offline message: [desertgold: beautiful wedding but i'm counting the hours]

Mina sent her own message back, a little disappointed that she hadn't been assigned to sit at the same table as Cagalli and Athrun. At least Cagalli had been spared sitting with some of the lesser Seiran clan, who were together to one edge of the sprawling patio.

"Lady Sahaku--"

Mina slipped her phone away, smiled, and went back to the crowd.

She caught, out of the corner of her eyes, Cagalli and Athrun near the bar. As she talked, someone slipped a glass of champagne into her hand and carefully, she practiced the art of drinking the same glass for as long as possible while talking to as many people as possible.

Thankfully, not a single person suggested she should be next for matrimony. Even though her status as heirless head of the family was well known, it was also understood that at present, she intended to do nothing about it.

~*~

Cagalli caught herself leaning on Athrun somewhere midway through the toast to the happy couple. She couldn't help wondering what would have been said at her own wedding. Stupid things, likely. Things that weren't true. Noni looked so truly happy.

A few tears finally rolled down her cheeks and she dabbed at them before Athrun or any of her tablemates could really notice.

She'd sent Romi a quick message but not had a chance to check and see if Romi had sent anything back. While she'd seen plenty of phones flicking back and forth before dinner, they'd all been tucked away once everyone had been seated.

It was easy to get lost in the whirl of course after course of food followed by every single man at the reception attempting to ask her to dance all at once.

A few of them reminded her of her father - a similar smell, a familiar build... She was comfortable dancing. For a few hours, she forgot about her phone.

Noni and her husband had even dashed off for their honeymoon before Cagalli had noticed the time. It was dark, and...

She scrambled for Athrun - who had gathered a couple of other admirals and was happily discussing mobile suits - and her purse.

"Time to go?" Athrun questioned. Cagalli gave a little nod as a few of the admirals winked at Athrun. They could think whatever they wanted...

"Have a good evening, you two," one of them said.

"Pleasant to see you all," Cagalli replied with a smile. She pulled out her phone to check the time and it was even later than she had thought.

"I can give you a ride," Athrun said, slipping an arm around her as they walked. The reception had thinned out quite a bit, Cagalli had realized. Even worse.

"Thank you. I had planned on just calling a taxi..."

After a few more farewells, including to Lord and Lady Hakuro, Cagalli practically towed Athrun to his car.

She had her phone out instantly and started on a quick apology.

offline message: [indarkness: Don't keep me waiting too long-]

"Are you sure you'll be okay if I just drop you off?" Athrun questioned as he started the car.

"I'll be fine," Cagalli replied. "Better than fine. Besides, don't you have someone waiting for you?"

Athrun paused before nodding.

"I'm glad--" Cagalli reached to put his hand over his on the shift-knob. "Thanks for being here for me all weekend."

"Any time," Athrun said.

"Okay, now drive."

Athrun chuckled. Cagalli went back to her phone.

[desertgold: i'm on my way! a little too much dancing, i'm sorry!]

[indarkness: As long as you're not worn out - that's my job.]

[desertgold: wide awake and... maybe a little nervous.]

[indarkness: I’ll only bite where you tell me to.]

[desertgold: and everywhere else?]

[indarkness: My tongue, my hands-- whatever you want.]

[desertgold: i want you to take my hair down, before you get me out of this dress.]

~*~

[indarkness: I can do that.]

Mina had excused herself from the reception not long after Noni and her husband had left, apologizing with a soft mention of not quite having adjusted to the time differences between Orb and Ame-no-Mihashira. It was a harmless fib. She did intend to be in bed sooner than later, but not sleeping.

Four, Six, and Thirteen were fine on their own at the mansion, with instructions to call Erica if anything too pressing happened.

[desertgold: hair down, jewelry off, shoes off, dress off...]

She'd changed into a pair of maroon slacks and creamy half-sleeve top. Nothing complex. Black boots. Lilac scarf... Fairly casual for the lounge, but no one had really given her a second look, either. Most seemed to be on their way either into our out of town.

While Mina had seen a couple of wedding guests, they'd stumbled in and out fairly quickly.

She was sitting at the bar, only slightly drinking a martini and otherwise people-watching. Despite Cagalli being late, Mina hadn't had too much lead time on her - just enough to reserve a very nice room and drop off her things before heading to wait.

[indarkness: Bra off...]

There was a long pause.

[desertgold: okay, here--]

Mina turned off the screen on her phone and took a sip of her martini.

~*~

Cagalli looked up from her phone when Athrun cleared his throat. She blinked. The car was stopped--

"We're here," Athrun said.

"Oh. Right..." Cagalli tapped out a quick message and stashed her phone in her purse. "I..."

"Good luck." Athrun's voice was soft. Cagalli leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you."

She sucked in her breath, reached for the door handle and got out of the car before she could have any second thoughts.

Knowing what Romi looked like might've helped the strange feeling in her stomach, Cagalli thought. But there couldn't be too many women in the lounge, certainly not alone and she'd mentioned her hair so Romi would...

The outside doors to the lounge were dark and Cagalli shuffled through the first set quickly, checking her reflection in the second set before heading in. Aside from a couple of flowers wilting a bit, which she could do nothing about, she looked good. Even the little loose wisp of hair was hanging perfectly, curling just a bit at the bottom.

Romi, who probably knew everything there was to know about her fantasies, was only a set of doors away. Cagalli smiled and reached for the door handle.

The lounge was quiet, aside from piped-in piano music and a few people in suits gathered at tables around the lounge's perimeter. A couple of men in suits sat at the bar, and at the other end was--

Cagalli froze when she realized she was staring at Lady Sahaku. Lady Rondo Mina Sahaku - Ro Mi. Everything clicked together and Cagalli was momentarily too surprised to do anything other than stare as Mina turned enough to look her way, red lips turning up into a predatory smile.

Legs shaking, Cagalli somehow made it the last few feet til she could slip up onto the bar stool beside Mina.

"You're Romi..." Cagalli managed. She felt a lot of things, mostly like an idiot and...

"Yes," Mina replied, reaching to curl that loose wisp of Cagalli's hair between her thumb and forefinger.

"You knew..." Cagalli wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"Not at first," Mina admitted, carefully trailing her hand down Cagalli's cheek and neck before drawing back to reach for her drink. "Did you want a drink?"

Cagalli had no idea what she wanted. Certainly not... well... There was no description for the funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. She shook her head.

"Upstairs, then?"

"Upstairs?" It clicked as soon as Cagalli had echoed Mina's question. "Right..."

Mina dropped a couple of coins on the bar and slid off her stool. She had heels on, which didn't make Cagalli feel any less overwhelmed. Her own shoes gave her an extra inch, but that was nothing.

They only had to cross a tiny patch of lobby to get to the hotel's elevators. Thankfully, no one else was waiting to get on and Mina pulled out a keycard for one of the top floors. With the elevator to themselves, Cagalli tried to find something else to say.

Mina beat her to it.

"Hair down first?" she asked, reaching to pull Cagalli close. Mina was warm compared to the too-cool of the air conditioning and Cagalli couldn't help a little smile.

"Hair down first," Cagalli confirmed. Romi was Mina. And Mina was... Cagalli opened her mouth to Mina's kiss, returning it, thrilled that somehow everything felt right.

The elevator stopped too soon. Mina pulled her out of the elevator and to their suite.

~*~

Mina had known there was a chance of Cagalli panicking and fleeing. Not a big one - not the strong Cagalli she'd seen over the last couple of years. But it had been there.

Once the suite door was closed, she kissed Cagalli again. The last dregs of insecurity seemed to evaporate from Cagalli as the electronic lock clicked shut and she put her hands on Mina.

"Hair first," Mina reminded her.

"Just the flowers," Cagalli replied quickly. "The rhinestones are kinda fussy to get out. And..."

"Here--" Mina guided Cagalli into the suite's main room, a sitting area with sofa, chairs, a dark coffee table and wall-mounted television. She sat and gestured for Cagalli to sit--

Cagalli wasted no time slipping up on Mina's lap, straddling her thighs and leaning in. Mina reached for the flowers in Cagalli's hair, trying not to pull too hard. She couldn't really see what she was doing. Not with her eyes closed, not with Cagalli kissing her, hands pulling away her scarf.

If nothing else, Cagalli could kiss.

"I can't believe it was you--" Cagalli sat up for a moment, wrapping her hands in Mina's scarf once before letting it fall to the sofa. Mina took the chance to pluck a couple of blossoms free. They fell onto the scarf, petals scattering.

"Wait-- how did you find out--"

"Erica," Mina replied quickly, smiling. "An offhand comment, really, but enough that I could put pieces together."

Cagalli frowned and then smiled. "You never acted any differently."

"I didn't want to." Mina pulled the last few flowers free, taking out pins and letting Cagalli's hair fall loose. "I'd grown surprisingly fond of you."

"I never would have guessed-- 'Public Safety', though..."

"Close enough." Now, Cagalli really did need to be out of the dress. While it was beautiful - a sub-tropical print over beige, above the knee, simple enough for an outside wedding - it needed to go.

It was easy enough for slip her hands up under the bottom of the dress, tracing the warmth of Cagalli's thighs and then higher, to the edges of her panties.

Cagalli shifted and started kissing Mina's neck, soft at first before a few tentative nips and a bit of glorious suction that Mina was sure would leave a mark on her pale skin.

Mina followed along the leg-band of Cagalli's panties, earning a sharp gasp from Cagalli. There was no surprise at the dampness already there - Mina would have been a bit offended otherwise. She dragged her fingers back and forward once, smiling as Cagalli arched and pushed against her.

"We're doing things out of order," Mina noted, shifting a bit as Cagalli's hands found her breasts and nipples.

"Don't care," Cagalli replied, shifting again and burying her face against Mina's shoulder as Mina slipped her fingers under elastic and cotton. "Ah..."

"Here?" Mina questioned, quick to move her fingers and find Cagalli's clit. The cry against her shoulder was enough of an answer, and with slick fingers, she worked at it, stroking and tracing around, dipping her fingers up inside Cagalli to keep everything wet.

Cagalli moved against her, shifting and grinding against Mina's fingers.

"Mina, nnn... yeah--" Cagalli shuddered against her, trying to pull away as she came. As soon as Mina drew her hand back, Cagalli kissed her again, hard, all tongue and need as she tried to work Mina's shirt up.

"Bed," Mina suggested once Cagalli had paused to breathe.

"Yeah..." Cagalli didn't resist Mina scooping her up and carrying her.

~*~

Cagalli didn't waste any time getting her own dress off, nor her bra and underwear. She also didn't waste any time getting Mina undressed.

"Next time we chat, flight suits," Cagalli managed somewhere between Mina's shirt and bra.

The look on Mina's face said they really didn't need to keep that one text-only.

Hopefully that meant handcuffs would be an option, too. 'Public Safety' and all.

**Author's Note:**

> I had meant this to be around ~1300 words, and before I knew it I was writing pages and pages each time I sat down to work on it. But I have a soft spot for these two, so it all worked out. 
> 
> Most of Mina's casual outfits, along with some of Cagalli's outfits (in general) are inspired by various outfits worn by both characters in my very small collection of Mina/Cagalli fanart done by a handful of Japanese artists. So if you were curious what inspired them, they're just a little Easter Egg for anyone familiar with the Japanese side of the fandom.
> 
> Screen names were inspired by Cagalli's image song Desert Rose, and Mina's is the vaguest of allusions to the goddess Izanami.


End file.
